Marbles
by Fyr3Flyt3
Summary: What if Kuina hadn't died? What if Sabo never left? What if the Marines found Law? What if Alabasta fell? For every action, there's always a what if that can be asked. So, what if the world of One Piece was a little different?
1. Out to Sea

**Chapter 1: On the Sea**

"Ahhhhh!" Coby screamed as the dinghy fell into the water from the side of the Miss Love Duck, main ship of the Alvida Pirates, while Marine cannonballs crashed all around them. The other occupant of the dinghy, Monkey D. Luffy, laughed like a mad man, holding onto his treasured straw hat as they fell to the sea.

"Coby, give me the oars! We gotta scram!" Despite the urgency of the words, Luffy was smiling like he was having the time of his life. Like he wasn't currently being shot at with cannonballs. Coby complied without a word, handed the oars, and hit the deck as a cannonball hit to the left of them spraying seawater everywhere. Luffy shoved the oars in the water and twisted his arms around into tight spring-like coils. " **Gum** - **Gum...Paddle**!" The coils unfurled at blinding speed and in a flurry of white, displaced water, the dinghy raced off across the sea.

"Luuuuuuufffyyyyyyyyyy!" Coby screamed the entire ride. Soon, the Marine ships and the Miss Love Duck were mere dots on the horizon. Luffy's arms lost their steam and snapped back to his sides, raw red from the friction.

"Ahh! Ahh! Hot!" Luffy ran over to the side and dunked his arms into the cool sea, sighing in relief. And then he slumped over and started tipping into the sea. "So...cool..too...weak!"

"Luffy!" Coby tried his best to pull the older boy away from his watery demise, barely managing to get him back into the dinghy. It took Luffy a few seconds before the bot back to his normal self again.

"Woo! That was a close one! I almost died! Thanks Coby!" The pink haired former pirate blushed at the praise from his hero. "Now, where the heck are we? Hmm." He looked up at the noon sun. "Hmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Well, we're lost!"

Coby facepalms and reaches into the small chest inside of the dinghy. In it is a raggedy map of the East Blue and a dented, dirty, old compass. Straightening his glasses, Coby examined the map and pinpointed the area they had been in and the assumed direction they had left in. Following the line going what should be west, the closest island to them was, "Yotsuba Island. There's a Marine town there, Shells Town."

"Whoaaa! You can read a map? That's awesome!" Coby blushed again. He wasn't used to praise like this. Usually he just got yelled at or hit with Alvida's mace.

"Thanks, Luffy, but you should really know how to do this yourself. You are supposed to be a pirate."

"Eh," Luffy sat down on the chest, "It's too hard. I'm just gonna get a good navigator. Oh! Coby, will you be my navigator?!" Coby was taken aback by the offer. Earlier, Luffy had called him stupid and cowardly (not that he was wrong about the last one, but it still hurt) and now he was begging him to be o n his crew. It sounded pretty-Wait!

"Luffy, I can;t be your navigator! I'm going to become a Marine!"

Luffy leaned back and stroked his chin, nodding. "Oh yeah, I guess you can't. Oh well, guess I'll have to find someone else."

Coby winced at how easily Luffy had given up on him. 'At least beg a little more.' Coby looked back at the map. "Shells Town has a big Marine Base on it run by the famous Captain 'Axe-Hand' Morgan. They say he's one of the most fearsome Marines in the East Blue. He captured the infamous Kuro of One Thousand Plans, and recently, the demon Pirate Hunter."

Luffy's low ears twitched. Pirate Hunter. That name made his Pirate Senses tingle, though not in the way one would expect.

"Pirate Hunter? Who;s that? They sound strong." Coby nodded, recalling the tales he had picked up from his former crewmates.

"Yeah, she is. They call her a demon who fights and kills hundreds of pirates for money. She's taken out infamous pirate crews like the Crescent Moon and the Tick-Tock Pirates, both had bounties of over 5 million Berri." Coby shivered as he pictured the demonic women cutting men to pieces with her sword. Luffy shivered as well. The lady Coby was describing sounded perfect to join his crew!

"We're gonna go to Shells Town! I wanna meet this Pirate Hunter lady."

"Wha!" Coby yelled, jaw on the floor. "Luffy, you can't meet her! She's a demon! A monster in human form!"

Luffy chuckled and nodded, "And that's why we're going! She sounds perfect for my crew!" Coby looked at Luffy's unshakable smile with awe and horror. He might've been rescued by a crazy man. 'Well, at least we'll be at a Marine town. Maybe I can join up there.' Luffy stood at the bow of the ship and smiled at the horizon. "First stop! Shells Town!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Fyr3Flyt3: So this is a small chapter of a new story that I thought up. The basic idea is an alternate version of One Piece where some things are changed from canon and seeing how that affects the story overall. Some people will have different backstories, some characters will be in different places, and entire arcs might be a bit different. I have a few changes planned, but I'd love to hear what tweaks or what ifs you guys have that I can add to change things up a bit. The next chapter should be out shortly and be a bit longer.**

 **Until Next Time, Bye!**


	2. The Pirate Hunter

**The Pirate Hunter**

Coby sighed with relief as he caught sight of Shells Town on the horizon. He and Luffy had been sailing for two days now and they were nearly out of food. The dinghy had been packed with enough food for ten men to survive a week at sea. Coby had discovered that Luffy ate what five men could in a few hours. The only reason they had any food left was some rationing and a few threats on Coby's part. Even Luffy was smart enough to realize that falling off the boat was bad for him.

"Haha! Coby, we're here!" Luffy cheered as the island came into view, "I thought we were gonna die. Guess ya did know what you were doing". Coby's proud smile faded. He grumbled as he turned the said and directed them towards the docks.

Luffy hopped onto the shore before the dinghy was fully docked. By the time Coby had finished tying it up to a post, Luffy had already wandered halfway down the street, making Coby run to catch up to him. Luckily, the boy had stopped to buy and munch on a pear.

"Hmm? Mm." Luffy swallowed his pear whole, "There ya are, Coby. What took you so long?" Coby glared at the pirate.

"Well, I was trying to-" Luffy was already walking off, gawking at the massive towers of the Marine base. They towered (haha) over the town below with the white flag of the World Government waving proudly in the wind. Navy blue seagulls marked the building as Marine property. Coby was in awe too. "Wow. So this is the base of Axe-Hand Morgan."

"Ah!" A sudden cry brought Coby's attention to something strange. All the people around them had moved away, looks of fear aimed at the two while they cowered in the streets. 'What the? Why are they looking at us like that? All did was say Captain Morgan's name.'

"Haha! These guys are weird." Luffy straightened his hat. "So that's where the Pirate Hunter lady is too, right? Kaina."

"Kuina, Luffy. Like the bird." There was another, smaller gasp from the bystanders. No looks of fear this time, more sorrowful ones, the kind people get when something terrible has happened. A few even looked concerned, throwing glances at the Marine base. 'Weird. Why would they be worried about a demon like the Pirate Hunter?'

"Well, alright! Let's go, Coby, I wanna see her for myself!" Luffy jogged towards the Marine base, forcing Coby to run to catch up with him. The townsfolk watched them approach the base. No one tried to stop them. A few prayed for them.

Soon, the pair stood before the four meter tall, half a meter thick stone wall that surrounded the base with a wooden gate emblazoned with the Marine symbol blocking any unauthorized entry. Coby stepped up to the gate with shaking hands and legs.

"This is it. This is where I take my first step. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna become a Marine. I'm gonna go out and fight pirates and criminals and protect innocent people. And-And if I die doing it, well that's okay because I died chasing my dream!" Coby yelled, "Right, Luffy?" He turned to his friend, or more accurately, the space where his friend had been. Luffy was now hanging on the wall, looking into the courtyard. "Wha-What are you doing!?"

"Hey Coby, I think I see her! Come here!" Luffy nonchalantly stretched his hand and snatched Coby up by his collar. Coby yelled as he flew over to Luffy's side and barely caught onto the wall as he dropped.

"Luffy, you can't just do stuff like that. You could get us in trouble!"

"Coby, look!" He followed the direction of Luffy's pointing finger and straightened his glasses. In the middle of the dirt courtyard was a women tied to a wooden cross. She didn't seem to be moving, though the subtle rise and fall of her chest meant she was at the very least alive. Her skin had a reddish tint from sun exposure. Her dark blue hair blew in the wind with the matching sash around her waist that held up her baggy trousers. "She's sleeping."

Coby ignored the comment and took a closer look. From the burn on her skin, she must've been out here for a while. Reports of her capture had come in about two weeks ago. Could she have been out here that whole time? 'Why keep someone as dangerous as her out here? If anything she should be in a cell. Better question is why was she arrested? She may be scary, but she fights pirates. Being a bounty hunter isn't illegal.'

Clack! The sudden noise surprised the duo as the ladder was slapped onto the side of the wall. A little girl with brown pigtails climbed up the ladder and hopped over the edge with a brown bundle.

"H-hey! Little girl! You can't go over..there...what is she doing?" The little girl ran up to Kuina and started talking. The wind made it hard to hear what she was saying, but Kuina heard her. She definitely hadn't been sleeping. She was talking back to the little girl, seemingly annoyed. As the wind died down, they caught the latter half of the conversation.

"...out of here! If he catches you, then I did this for nothing, now scram!" The little girl shook her head as she unwrapped the bundle, showing Kuina a pair of freshly made rice balls. Kuina's dark eyes widened.

"I made them for you. Mama said that you really liked the rice balls she made for you so I'd thought you'd like some." A small smile found its way onto Kuina's face. The sweet moment even brought a smile to Coby's face. 'She doesn't seem that scary…'

"Look, kid, ya gotta g-" She was cut off by the metal clang of the inner yard gate opening. Three men approached the cross. The man in the center had a ridiculous blonde bowl cut and an unfashionable purple suit. He strutted up to cross flanked by two Marines who really looked like they didn't want to be here.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little Intruder? Watch out kid, don't get to close or she'll eat you!" The blonde man cackled at his own joke. No one else laughed. Kuina growled at him. "Hey! Don't you growl at me! You," he pointed at the right Marine, "punish her."

The man sighed and did as he was told, smacking Kuina across the face with the butt of his rifle. She barely even moved which pissed the blonde man off. "Hit her again!" The Marine hesitated for a moment before hitting her again. She just glared at Helmeppo with her dark, pupiless eyes. It was a look that made even Coby shake all the way at the wall. "A-again! Don't stop until she's learned her lesson!"

"No!" The little girl jumped in front of Kuina, protecting her from the gunbutt. The Marine stopped just short of her face. "Stop hurting Big Sis! She didn't do anything!"

The blonde man growled, "Out the way, you stupid brat! Nobody messes with me! My Daddy is Axe-Hand Morgan, the greatest Marine in East Blue! You," now it was the left Marine's turn, "throw her out of here!"

"Wha-what? But, Helmeppo, she's just a chi-"

"I don't care! Throw her out right now! Or else I'm telling my Daddy you helped this criminal!" The man gulped. He could almost feel the brutal axe of Captain Morgan coming down on his neck. With great remorse, the man picked up the little girl, kicking and screaming, and tossed her over the wall with both hands. She barely went over the edge of the wall. They paused and waited for the thump from her landing.

Helmeppo grinned as he heard it and turned to Kuina, who continued to glare at him. "Guess you won't be getting anymore visitors, will you?" A squelch came from under his magenta shoes. He looked down to see the rice balls the little girl had brought and with glee, began to stomp them into the dirt before kicking sand into Kuina's face. "HA! In your face! Kahahahaha! Now, I'm done here. Let's go!" The blonde man yelped as he turned and left the way he came followed by his two men.

It was silent in the courtyard. The wind blew again, covering the rice with even more dirt. Kuina grimaced as her stomach growled for food. 'Just one more week and I can go. Just one more week.'

"Hey!" Kuina jumped in surprise (as much as she could being tied to a cross). Standing in front of her was a teenage boy in a red vest, shorts, and wearing a raggedy looking straw hat. He waved at her happily. "Wanna join my pirate crew?"

 **TO BE CONTINUED**

 **Fyr3Flyt3: And that is the end of that chapter. Much longer than the last one and the appearance of the first shift, though she was already mentioned in the first chapter. With the lack of a certain mossheaded swordsman, you can probably guess what happened, but we'll go more indepth with that next time. This is the first major change to the story. If you have any comments, suggestions, or critiques, leave a review or PM me, I'm open to all and will reply to review questions in the following chapter. I'm not sure of the schedule for this as I'm pretty terrible with schedules, but I've had more free time and inspiration lately so it'll hopefully be often. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.**

 **Until Next Time, Bye!**


	3. Guts, Guns, and Guile

**Chapter 3: Guts, Guns, and Guile**

* * *

Winds howled through the dirt courtyard, picking up a small whirl of dust and leaves. The dust devil twirled in the space between the two occupants of the courtyard before fading back into the air.

"What?" Kuina asked, slightly confused. She had seen this kid looking over the wall before with another pink-haired boy, watching her whole exchange with Rika and Helmeppo. She didn't care why they were there, it wasn't any of her concern. All she needed to worry about was getting through this damn month of starvation. "Join your crew? What, did you come over here thinking that if you freed me, I'd just join you?" Kuina scoffed, "I'm not giving up my life to be some pirate."

Luffy's head lolled to the side like a confused dog, "I didn't give up my life to be a pirate; being a pirate is my dream. And i'm not forcing you to join me, I was just asking. I wanted someone strong on my crew and everyone keep saying you're a demon."

"A demon? Hahahaha," She chuckled lightly, "I guess you could call me that." She looked up at Luffy with her piercing black eyes, a determined fire burning behind them. "I'll never join you. I'm not throwing away my dreams to serve under some idiot kid. I have things I need to do. So I'll sit here and finish my deal with that idiot son. I'll stay for my month if I have to; I'll survive no matter what to fulfill my dream!"

The wind blew at a full howl as her monologue came to an end. Luffy stared at her with a blank expression, seemingly thinking over-or whatever it is he does in his head-what she said. Kuina leaned back into her bonds, coming down from the state she had worked herself up to. She meant every word of what she said. She would fulfill their promise no matter what.

"Wow, a whole month without food! I wouldn't last an hour without something to eat! Shishishishishishishishi!" Luffy laughed. Kuina shook her head.

"Of course you wouldn't. That's why you and I are different; you lack resolve. Now get out of here!" She yelled at him. Luffy shrugged and turned to leave, stepping on something sticky and scraping it off his sandal. Kuina noticed it and called out, "Wait! Before you go, feed that to me." Luffy looked down. Covered in dirt and stamped flat into the ground were the remains of the rice balls the girl from earlier had brought.

Luffy picked up the mess, "Blegh! You want this?" Kuina grunted and opened her mouth wide. With the gentleness of a gorilla with the shakes, Luffy shoved the dirty rice into Kuina's mouth.

The second it touched her taste buds, Kuina knew that this rice ball was the single most disgusting thing she had ever tasted in her life. Not only were they sweet instead of being salty, bugs and dirt added a disgusting crunch to it. Still, beggars can't be choosers and Kuina ate the whole thing and swallowed it despite the flavor. "Hey, when you leave, tell the girl….they were the best rice balls I've ever had."

* * *

 **Two Minutes Later**

"Really? She said that?" Rika's eyes shined with childish glee while Coby applied the bandage to her head. Despite Luffy catching her, she still got a bad scrape on her forehead, but that meant nothing to her right now.

"Yep! She said they were the best she'd ever had!" Luffy smiled, cheerful as always. Coby had his doubts about that statement. How could someone denounced as a demon say such kind words? Yet, the softness she had shown to the girl before made him question his own doubts.

"I'm glad," Rika wiped a tear from her eyes, "It's all my fault she's up there." She saw Coby and Luffy's confused looks and continued, "Big Sis got arrested after she killed Helmeppo's pet wolf, Soro. It was running around attacking people and it was gonna get me too, but Big Sis stopped it."

"Wha? So she only got arrested 'cause she killed Helmeppo's wolf?"

"Yeah."

"That doesn't make any sense." Coby pondered, rubbing his chubby chin. "If all she did was kill a wolf that was attack people, she shouldn't have been arrested. And if it was attacking people, the Marines should've stopped it first."

"Yeah, but they didn't." Rika sat down on the steps with Luffy, curling up into her legs, "They're too scared to disobey the Morgans or else they'll get executed. Nobody stands up to them."

Coby couldn't believe what he was hearing. Marines threatening their own soldiers and terrorizing civilians? They sounded like pirates. This isn't what Marines were supposed to be. They were supposed to be protectors and helpers of the innocence who punish wrongdoers. Something was wrong here…

"Kahahahahahahaha! That's right, bow down at my feet! Anyone who raises their head will get it from my Daddy." The trio turned and saw the citizens of Shells Town prone on the ground. Bowing to Helmeppo and his two escorts as he strutted down the streets, laughing like a moron. "You think cause that demon Kuina was an idiot, you can be too, think again! I'll execute her in public as an example to anyone who gets any ideas!" The tension in the air became suddenly palpable as Luffy stood up.

"What? I thought you said she had to stay a month and then she was free?" Helmeppo stopped and looked at Luffy, scoffing at his ragged appearance.

"HaW I was joking, obviously! Only an idiot like her would believe that! No one messes with me and gets away with it! Kahahahaha!"

As the blonde man laughed, Luffy couldn't help but remember the determination Kuina showed, the fire in her eyes when she said she would survive. And now Helmeppo was laughing at her determination. So Luffy did what he did best to shut up the little blonde shit. He socked him clean in the jaw, knocking him back into his guards with blood pouring from his mouth.

"Luffy!" Coby grabbed Luffy before he could do more damage, but it seemed Luffy was done.

"Coby," Luffy said, his voice oddly stern with a steel underneath it, "I've decided. Kuina is joining my crew no matter what."

While Luffy gave his announcement, the townsfolk were in a panic, screaming and running back into their homes to hide from the wrath that would come down from the Morgans. The Marione escorts checked on Helmeppo, picking him up. "You dare hit me?!" Helmeppo bellowed through a mouthful of blood, "I'm Marine Captain Morgan's Son! I'll tell him about this!" The remaining townsfolk wailed in despair. Luffy just growled at Helmeppo.

"Why don't you come over here and fight for yourself?" Even as Luffy said this, the Marines were carrying Helmeppo away as quickly as possible.

"You'll regret hitting me! You'll get the death penalty for this and my Daddy will be the one to do it!" Soon, the purple suit wearing moron disappeared, still crying out threats. The town was abuzz with talks, throwing scared glances at Luffy and Coby.

"Ri-Rika!" A brown haired woman in a simple blue dress stood in the doorway of a tavern. Her dark eye were as panicked as the other townfolks' as she frantically beckoned her daughter into their business/home. "Did you give those rice balls to Kuina?" Rika nodded as she took her mother's hand. "Alright, but I don't want you going anywhere near that place again. It's dangerous."

"But Mama-" The boys didn't hear the rest of the conversation as Rika's mother, Ririka, as she closed the door behind them. Coby waved the girl off while Luffy began his march to the Marine base. He had a crewmate to go free.

* * *

 _"Come out and fight me, Kuina! I'll beat you this time!" Idiot._

 _"Promise me! Promise me that one day, one of us will be the world's greatest swordsman!" Stupid, mosshaired idiot._

 _"This sword is our promise!" Why…._

 _"I'm sorry, Kuina, but Zoro is…." How could you die like that?!_

"Oy! Kuina!" Her eyes flapped open as she was pulled from her dreamlike memories. The straw hat kid was back with that same ridiculous smile on his face. "Oh, cool, I thought you were asleep. Welp, I'm gonna bust you out now. I decided you're gonna join my crew."

"What? I told you before, I'm not joining your crew!" Kuina's protest went in one ear and out the other as Luffy pulled at the ropes, unable to break the bonds. "Hey! Are you listening to me?"

"I'm gonna untie you and then you'll have to join me." Kuina growled. If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was being ignored. Well, that and being told she's weak because she's a woman, but that's unrelated.

"Listen, Straw Hat, I told you once already, I'm not joining your damn crew and I'm not becoming a pirate. I have things that I need to do and you'll only get in my way." Luffy stared at Kuina, and she thought that maybe she was getting through that thick skull of his. Now maybe she could get some much needed rest.

"I don't care. You're joining my crew. I already decided." Kuina stares at Luffy as if he had suddenly grown a second head. The boy walked away, stroking his smooth chin as if he was thinking.

'What is wrong with this guy? I keep telling him I'm not joining him, does he not understand the word 'no'?' A flash of green went by her eyes and she couldn't help smile a bit. "Alright." Luffy tilted his head, "I'll join your crew if you can get my swords outta that tower and get me down from here."

Luffy smiled from ear to ear and nodded, running off towards the Marine base without any fear of the dozens of armed Marines ready to kill him without a second thought. Kuina watched him run at the tower and almost had a heart attack when his arms stretched all the way to the roof and rocketed him upwards. As he went to the roof, there was a crash and half of a massive statue crashed into the ground and shattered.

"...What did I just agree to?"

* * *

 **A bit earlier**

"I am great!" Morgan exclaimed while he watched his men struggle to lift the magnificent statue carved in his glorious likeness. He had ordered it from Tella, the Kingdom of Stone, famous for their craftsman and they certainly lived up to their hype. It was as perfect as he was. The definition on his rippling muscles. His chiseled steel jaw. The wicked edge on his famous axe-hand. Soon, it would stand atop his base and look down upon those insects, allowing them to constantly bask in his greatness.

"Daddy!" Morgan could feel his blood pressure rising. The door to the roof swung open and Helmeppo marched out, holding a bag of ice to his swollen face. "There's someone I need you to kill! He hit me and disrespected our-Gah!" Helmeppo was sent flying back into the wall to the shock of everyone on the roof. "D-Daddy?! What are you doing?" Tears welled up in Helmeppo's eyes, from a mix of pain and sadness. His father had never hit him before.

"Boy, do you know why I've never hit you?" Smoke faded into the air as it drifted up from Morgan's cigar. He stroked the butt of his axe while his cold eyes pierced Helmeppo down to his core. "It's because you're a useless bastard that's not worth scratching my beautiful axe on. Why should I clean up your mess? Don't misunderstand your place." He snatched Helmeppo up by his chin. "I'm the great one here, not you." He dropped Helmeppo and walked back to his shocked soldiers. Helmeppo held his bleeding nose, trying not to cry and failing miserably.

"By the way, I heard that a little rat infiltrated our base. DId you exterminate her?" The air began cold and sharp, stabbing into Helmeppo's lungs.

"Wha-What? D-Daddy, she's just a little girl, I can't-"

"You!" Morgan jabbed a finger at the closest Marine to him, the Lieutenant Commander, who jumped in fright. "Find that little girl and kill her."

"What? But sir, she's just a little girl, I can't do something like that! I'm sorry, sir, I have to refuse!" The air went cold. Morgan's amber eyes bored into the man's chest, freezing him in place while he lifted his axe high in the air. No one could do a thing as the axe came down the Lieutenant's face and chest, splitting him and half. Blood gushed from the wound as he let out a final scream before falling to the floor. Helmeppo ran to the edge of the tower and vomited while the others looked away from the mess. Morgan simply took out a cloth and wiped the gore from his axe. He glanced at the men and barked, "Get that statue standing. After this, I'll go and kill the girl myself."

There was no need to tell them twice, hopping to the job, pulling it up without a second thought. This thoughtless action caused the hand of the statue to bump against the entrance to the roof and chip off the tip of the right index finger, a barely noticeable blemish. However….

"You!" Once more, Morgan pointed at the nearest Marine and grabbed him by his collar, "You damaged my statue. That statue represents me and by damaging it, you disrespect me."

"N-no, sir, I would never-" Morgan would hear none of it as he raised his axe to end another man's life.

" **ROCKET**!" There was a loud snap like when a rubber band is stretched and snapped back to its original shape, followed by a crack and a yell. A rolling body flew through the middle of Morgan's statue, soaring into the air while the statue cracked in half and fell to the ground where it shattered into pieces.

Everyone on the roof was shellshocked and confused. The body landed, a boy in a red vest wearing an old straw hat. The Marines-and Helmeppo-turned to look at him. He waved apologetically.

"S-Sorry about that."

"CAPTURE HIM! I WANT THIS FOOL EXECUTED!" Morgan's order echoed down to the village, sending shivers down the townsfolks' spines. The Marine jumped into a panic while Helmeppo started screaming, "That's him, Daddy! That's the man that hit me-aaahhh!"

Luffy grabbed Helmeppo and started running down the stairs into the main building with a mob of Marines chasing after him with swords and guns. Morgan was steaming mad, his blood pressure through the roof. He stepped forward, ready to find and execute Luffy when a soldier yelled, "Sir, there's someone down in the courtyard with the prisoner."

"Hmm?"

* * *

"Aw, come on, why're these ropes so tight?" Coby pulled at the ropes on Kuina's arms, struggling to get just one of the knots loose.

"Kid, you need to get out of here. I know that straw-hat kid's your friend, but if they find you here helping me, they'll kill you."

"No!" Coby yelled, "You shouldn't be up here like this. You didn't do anything wrong. I can't..I can't stand these Marines! This isn't justice! When I become a Marine, I'll become an Admiral and fix this!"

"An Admiral?" Kuina looked at Coby with disbelief. This weak, chubby pink-haired kid wanted to be an admiral? But she couldn't deny the steel in his eyes. The same steel she saw when she looked in the mirror and the same kind she saw in the straw hat kid's eyes.

"Yeah! Just like Luffy's going to be the Pirate King! It may sound impossible, but we'll do it! I know we can!"

Pirate King? Is he serious? That kid is aiming for that of all things….'

 _ **Crack!**_

The crack of gunfire echoed through the courtyard. Coby screamed as he fell to the ground, holding his bleeding shoulder. Kuina growled and looked at the tower, locking eyes with Morgan. He glared back at her while the Marine next to him put his gun down. Kuina turned back to see Coby slowly picking himself, trying not to cry.

"Oi, kid! You need to get out of here before you get killed. These Marines won't care you're a child." Coby shook his head, standing up while holding his bleeding shoulder. He limped forward, hissing from the pain. "Kid, you need to leave and get that looked at. Don't worry about me. I just have a bit longer and I'll be out of here on my own."

"No! Helmeppo lied!" Coby yelled, tears streaming down his face. The pain in his arm was like a fire burning through his nerves. "He never planned on honoring your deal! He's gonna execute you in front of everyone tomorrow."

This should've surprised Kuina. She should've looked shocked. But she wasn't surprised or shocked at all. She should've seen this coming a mile away and she probably had, but some naive part of her believed that her tiny sacrifice would help those people. She should've known better.

"Change of plans!" Morgan's voice boomed across the courtyard. Flanked on both sides by squads of Marines armed with rifles, Morgan grinned maliciously at the pair. "You'll both be executed, right now!" The Marines dropped into position, guns aimed at the cross. Coby ran and stood in the way of the bullets, eyes closed. Kuina stared at the firing squad, her heart thundering in her chest.

 _'No_. _It_ _can end here, not like this. I still have to keep my promise. He'd never forgive me if I died like this...Zoro…'_

* * *

 **Fyr3Flyt3** : **And** **that's the end of Chapter 3. That took longer than expected, but hopefully with Spring Break, I can write ahead a bit and maybe even get an actual schedule going before the grind towards the end of school. I never expected this intro to take so long, but it looks like it'll be another two chapters before the end of this arc. Not much to say this time. I hope you enjoyed. If you have any comments or critiques leave a review or PM me. Until Next Time. Bye!**


	4. Lost Tiger, Wingless Bird

**Chapter 4: Lost Tiger, Wingless Bird**

* * *

"Kuina wins!" Koshiro called out as the green haired boy hit the dirt for what seemed like the hundredth time. The swords master shook his head, pushing his glasses up on his face. His students groaned and cursed at the defeat of their comrade in their neverending war. He turned his gaze away from the boys gathering around Zoro to his daughter. She coldly stared at her defeated opponent before walking away.

"Damn it! I lost again!" Zoro cried, "Even with two swords, I couldn't beat her!" Kuina stopped and looked back at him, a smug smirk on her face.

"How pitiful. And they keep saying you're the strongest in the dojo, but you can't even beat me, a girl, with two swords in 2000 matches. How weak can you be?"

The other boys rose to Zoro's defense, shouting and cursing at Kuina while she walked off. She didn't care about what they had to say about her. She didn't care about winning some stupid match against that mosshaired idiot. It's not like it mattered anyway. Soon enough, she'd start losing and her dreams would fade away. All because of what she was.

* * *

" _It's impossible, Kuina." Koshiro said it so simply, as if he wasn't destroying his daughter's biggest dream. "A woman can't become the world's best swordsman. Once you start to mature, you'll start falling behind in strength. It's simply nature, there's nothing you can do about it."_

 _Kuina was shaking. Maybe from anger. Maybe from sadness. Maybe a mixture of both. Either way, she felt like she wanted to explode, to scream at her father and tell him he was wrong about everything. She had trained so hard for years to be as good as she was, aiming to be the best in the world, but according to him, all of that was meaningless because_ _of nature._

 _"Kuina? Kuina, are you listening to me?" Kuina looked at her father, glaring at him. He looked so gentle, not a hint of malicious intent. Just the same kind man she had always known. How could he be so kind and so cold at the same time? Kuina grunted before standing up and stomping out of the dojo, picking up her treasured sword as she went._

 _She went where she usually did whenever she was angry: the tree over her mother's grave. She couldn't remember when her mother died, but it definetly been when she was young. All Kuina remembered was her voice, soft and musical as a bluebird's song, singing her to sleep. Now all that remained of her were a few photos and a wooden cross driven into the ground under the shade of a willow tree. It was a comforting place for her to be. She didn't know what her mother was really like or what she would've said to her, but that made it easier. Now, she could just imagine that her mother would've comforted her, telling her she could reach her dream._

 _Kuina sat before the cross, sword laid across her knees. A gentle wind rustled the weeping branches of the willow tree. Kuina stroked the pure white sheath of her treasure blade, Wado Ichimonji. The Road to Harmony. This blade had been in her family for generations, passed down from father to son for decades, and yet, it looked as if it could've been made a day before. The blade was flawless and the edge capable of slashing the wings off a butterfly in the air. She had only been allowed to wield the ancient blade for about a year now, given to her on her tenth birthday as was tradition. Her father seemed to have had no qualms about passing it on to her then. So what had changed? Had she done something wrong in his eyes?_

 _'I don't understand…'_

She still didn't understand why her father's opinion had changed and she didn't care. She'd prove him wrong when she defeated Dracule Mihawk and became the world's strongest swordsman. Swordswoman. Whatever. Either way, she'd do it.

* * *

A fire ignited in her chest, Kuina took Wado from her room ad went to the willow tree to train. For hours, she worked on her strength, doing push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and lifting large logs. Just as her muscles began to burn and beg for the punishment to stop, she started practicing with Wado, practicing one strike for half an hour before moving on to the next. The sun was her timer, slowly drifting towards the horizon before sinking below the sea into a black, starry sleep.

Her body glowed in the silver moonlight, chest heaving as she finally sat down to rest. All was silent save the winds, the waves, and the lullaby of the nightingale. Kuina always liked listening to birdsongs. They were simple and seemed to follow no real pattern, just one that made sense to the birds. They sang freely and flew wherever they wished with no restraint. She wished she could be like that, then she could fly away and soar towards her dream with nothing to hold her back. But she wasn't a bird. She had no wings to fly, so she would have to crawl and fight for what she wanted. Against other people and nature itself.

"Kuina!" the sudden call interrupted the birdsong and caught Kuina's attention. It was Zoro, still in his black gi, carrying two swords in either hand for his signature style. Though, these were no wooden practice blades. These were true steel blades with wickedly sharp edges. 'Where in the world did he pull those from?'

"What do you want, pipsqueak?" Kuina had nothing against Zoro. He was a bit of an annoying brat, but she couldn't deny that he had determination. It takes guts to get back up after getting beaten 2000 times in a row without landing a single hit. "Come to lose, again?"

"Yes! Wait, I-I mean no!" Zoro pointed his swords at Kuina, moonlight running down the edge of the blade. "I want a real duel this time! You versus me with real blades. I'll show you my real skills as a swordsman!" Zoro dropped into his wide stance with both blades coming up from his hips.

Kuina scoffed. It wasn't mockingly, it was out of amazement. Zoro really was impressive and reminded her of herself in a way. That steel in his eyes was the same kind she saw in the mirror in the morning. That made it even more annoying. He had everything she had and then some. He had a chance. Nature was on his side. And that pissed her off.

"Alright mosshead," Kuina drew Wado Ichimonji,"You wanna show me your skills, then get ready!" Kuina dashed across the distance between them in a matter of seconds, catching Zoro off guard. He was barely able to block her first blow and was sent head over heels by the kick she slammed into his stomach. He looked up and almost screamed as she brought the blade down at his forehead. He closed his eyes, prepared to meet his end that never came.

"Don't cry, ya big baby." Zoro opened his eyes. Kuina had already resheathed Wado and held her hand out to him. The moon shone behind her, sending a halo of silver light around the young swordswoman. "Are you gonna keep staring at me or what?" Zoro jumped up, pulling himself to his feet all on his own. He had some pride to maintain. Kuina rolled her eyes and sighed, "That makes it 2001 wins for me now. Most people would've given up by now."

Hearing that number made Zoro's blood boil and the nonchalant way she dismissed it made him want to explode. "I'm not giving up, not ever! I'm going to be the world's greatest swordsman someday! So watch out cause I'm coming for you and I'm going to beat you one day!"

"Yeah, you will."

"Wh-what?" Zoro wasn't expecting that response at all. Kuina's eye hid behind her bangs. Zoror's accusing finger wilted and drooped towards the ground. She turned away from him. Wado hung loosely in her hand.

"It doesn't matter how hard I work. I train everyday for hours and hours, but it doesn't mean anything. Eventually, I'm gonna grow into a woman, and I'll be weak, just like Papa says," her shoulders were shaking, "A girl can't be the number one swordsman!" She turned around, tears hanging over the edge of her eyes. She gave him a smile. "But you can be the best….I wish...I wish I could be a guy like you…."

It was like rain. The rolled over the edge and fell to the ground, bending the grass before slipping off and soaking into the dirt. She tried to hold them back, but saying it out loud, admitting it to someone else, it was all coming down in an uncontrollable torrent.

"Why….Why the hell would you say something like that?!" Zoro's scream pulled her from the storm. "That's stupid! You're saying that I'm only gonna beat you cause you're a girl?! You're saying that I practiced hard to beat you for nothing?! All I want to do is beat you!" Fire burned in his eyes while his voice became hoarse from screaming. "Promise me! Promise me that one day one of us will be the world's greatest swordsman! That's when I'll beat you! So swear on it, swear on your sword that we'll both try to be the greatest."

She laughed. It was quiet for a moment and the silence was broken by her laugh. She couldn't help it. It wasn't mocking laughter. It was an uncontrollable bubbling happiness inside of her. Never in her life had anyone openly supported her dream. Never in her life had she met someone like Roronoa Zoro.

"Hey, why're you laughing at me? Come on, promise me, will ya?" He grumbled and pouted. That only made Kuina laugh more. He looked adorable. It was a minute before she finally calmed down enough to answer him properly.

"Sure," she held out Wado's hilt, "I promise that when I become the world's greatest swordsman, I'll fight you."

Zoro steamed, crossing his hilts with her's, "Oi! Don't get too cocky, got it! The world's greatest swordsman is gonna be me!" Kuina chuckled and nodded.

"Over my dead body."

* * *

And so their rivalry went into full swing. It was strange at first for the rest of the dojo, seeing the two them actively compete against one another, which was near constantly.

The two of them were always trying to outdo each other with Kuina succeeding 99.9% of the time. Everything became a challenge between the two of them. Eating, sleeping, drinking, swimming, push ups, weights, climbing, running, basic directional skills (Kuina still couldn't believe he got lost going to the bathroom ten feet away), and most importantly, sword fighting.

And even as they fought and argued often, they got closer and closer as time went on. They supported each other and lifted one another with their rivalry, pushing themselves to new heights. Even Koshiro had a hard time keeping up with the two of them. They had long surpassed him in terms of skill and only had each other as rival. And that wouldn't have preferred it any other way.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Kuina. Zoro's dead."

It came out of nowhere like the flash of lightning. It struck her to her core and burned her from the inside out. It didn't make sense. She understood what her father was telling her, but the words….they couldn't be true. That couldn't have happened.

"We found him this morning in the basement of the dojo. It seems he went down there last night to sharpen his swords and slipped down the stairs. He hit his head on a step and died on impact."

This was a lie. He couldn't be dead. Not like that. He had promised her they would fight. How? How? Why did he go down there? How could he have fallen? It didn't make sense. How could he just die like that?! He was Zoro. He was her rival, her best friend, the only person to ever believe in her dream. He couldn't be dead. He couldn't be.

* * *

The rain almost felt insulting. The sky was an angry grey with fat raindrops pouring down onto the funeral. The path was lined with people from the dojo and the village all dressed in black. Koshiro walked at the head of the procession, the same emotionless look on his face as he led his students. Zoro's body laid on the palanquin, dressed up in his uniform with his swords crossed over his chest.

Kuina followed silently behind the procession. She was numb. She wasn't sad or hurt or grieving. If she felt anything, it was jealously towards the clouds. They could weep and moan and relieve the pain they felt. There was nothing she could do to relieve her's. Zor This was the day that she learned she hated rain.

* * *

"Kuina, it's time for dinner"

Koshiro said, but received no answer from the girl. Perhaps she hadn't heard him as she slashed through training dummy after training dummy, moving in a blur between them and leaving them in pieces. She had been like this for months now, training non-stop since Zoro had died. Koshiro's daughter had always been a hardworking person, pushing herself to her limits daily. But now, she and gone even further beyond that. It was almost inhuman.

Koshiro shook his head and walked away. He still didn't believe Kuina could become the world's greatest swordsman. The gap in power was just too vast. He knew from personal experience. But he couldn't stop her. All he could do was watch and hope she stayed alive.

* * *

 **Fyr3FLyt3: And there's the flashback. Amazing how much work you can get done when you're sick and feel like you're dying. Besides my imminent death, I'm pretty glad with how this chapter turned out despite how long it took me to write it. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep my lazy butt in gear and write more. The more I write, the better I'll get at it hopefully and the more you'll enjoy it, hopefully. If you've got any comments, questions, or critiques, please PM me or leave a review. Until Next Time, Bye!**


	5. Easy Peasy

**Chapter 5: Easy Peasy**

* * *

"Fire!" Morgan's order was met with the rattling cacophony of a dozen guns firing at once. Iron bullets whistled through the air, aimed at Coby and Kuina who were helpless to stop them. They would be ripped to shreds and killed in an instant.

"Geronimo!" They would've been if not for a sudden crash and the sound of stretching rubber. Luffy stood in front of them, a white sword tied around his back. The bullets plunged into his body and kept going, streching out of his back before firing right back at the soldiers, peppering them with their own bullets. A few were injured, but most were unharmed. They were, however, staring wide eyed at the amazing and mildly horrifying feat they had just witnessed.

"Did...Did that guy….how?" The soldier's question echoed in the minds of all his comrades and Kuina's. She had seen some wild stuff in her time as a bounty hunter, but this definitely took the cake.

Oddly enough, Coby was the only one unfazed by Luffy's strange anatomy. In fact, he had never felt more relieved in his life. He hadn't been shot and the strongest person he knew had shown up to save the day, hopefully.

Luffy chuckled at all the dumbfounded expressions, turning his attention to Coby and Kuina. He held out the white sheathed sword to the swordswoman. "Here. It was in that weird guy's room and he said it was yours. Looks really cool."

"H-how did you do that stuff with your body?"

"Shishishi," he snicked, "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit so now I'm a rubber man, see?" He pulled on his cheek. He pulled more and it kept going well past normal human length, reaching out to his elbow. Kuina could see the inside of his mouth and his teeth bending to go along with tugging motion. It was sickening, almost vomit inducing. One Marine did vomit.

Kuina cringed and simply adjusted her understanding of reality to include a weird rubber boy in a straw hat. It was the safer option and kept her sane. "Sure, whatever, fine, just cut me down from here and give me my sword." Luffy gave her a mischievous grin while balancing the sword on the palm of his hand.

"Are you sure? 'Cause if you do, the Marines will definitely come after you for helping me fight them. It'd be a lot easier to just sit here and die than come with me." He looked at the Marines with an abnormal amount of ease for the number of swords and gun pointed his way.

Kuina snorted, "Now you're backing off and telling me to die? You must be a devil or something...Whatever." Their eyes met with matching grins; the grins of mad folk. "Just give me my sword and I'll join you as a pirate."

The Marines collectively gasped. The infamous Pirate Hunter, known for slaying dozens of well known and powerful pirate crews with ease, had joined up with a self-proclaimed pirate. It made almost as little sense as eating a fruit and turning into rubber, yet both things were right in front of them. Safe to say, the Marines of Shells Town were having an odd day.

Morgan watched silently, smoldering on the inside. 'That boy,' He watched Luffy struggle to untie Kuina's bonds, 'He's eaten a Devil Fruit.' Morgan recalled his experience with Devil Fruit users, most of which had been other Marines. To say the least, they were terrifying, more monsters than humans with powers so bizarre and destructive, it seemed unreal. If this boy had really eaten one himself….

"Men! If guns won't work, then draw your swords and charge!" The battalion of Marines dropped their guns, drew their standard issue sabers. They looked at Luffy and hesitated for a moment before charging. The residents of Shells Town looked to the base, worrying over the ruckus that had been going on. No good could possibly come of it.

"Huh. They tied these knots really tight, huh?"

"I know that, you idiot! Hurry up before they get over here and stab us to death!"

"Guys! They're getting closer!"

Kuina continued to berate Luffy while Coby was having a miniature panic attack. The Marines came closer and closer and Coby's warnings became louder and louder. Luffy noticed a loose loop in the knot and pulled as the Marines descended on them.

CLANG!

"Whoa…."

In front of the herd of sword wielding Marines, Kuina stood in a low stance with her sword and sheath in either hand crossed behind her head. Her sword blocked all attacks coming from the left, the sheath stopped all attacks on the right. Coby could see the Marines struggling against her, trying to push through to no avail. She was like an unmovable statue leaking an aura of menace and power.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Kuina chuckled at Luffy's amazement. He had almost been stabbed to death by a dozen Marines and he was acting like it was a day in the park.

"Oi Straw Hat," She looked up at him, "I want you to listen to what I'm about to say. I may have agreed to be a pirate with you, but I want to get one thing straight. I have dreams of my own. I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman, pirate or not. So if you do anything to get in the way of that, I'll take your life as an apology." The steely look in her eyes proved that she would definitely follow through on her promise.

And Luffy just smiled more, "Good if you're going to be on the Pirate King's crew, then you need to at least aim for something as easy as that."

Warmth bloomed through Kuina's chest. There wasn't an ounce of doubt in his words. He sincerely believed that she could be the greatest swordsman in the world, something she hadn't heard in years. "Alright then. Now, wanna get these guys off me?"

Luffy grinned. Flexing her arms, Kuina pushed the soldiers back and ducked as a long rubbery leg swept over her head and caught them in the gut. " **Gum-Gum Whip!** " He grunted and sent the Marines tumbling head over foot. It had felt like he had come up to each of them and kicked them full force in the stomach. They moaned and groaned as they tried to pick themselves up off the ground.

"They're too strong!"

"We can't beat them!"

"They're demons, Captain! They're too strong to be humans!"

"Shut up!," Morgan exploded. He marched through the field of fallen soldiers, light glinting menacingly off of his axe. "If you useless louts can't follow a simple order, you might as well kill yourselves."

None of them reacted immediately, too shocked by the absurdity of the order. There was no way he could actually mean for them to kill themselves. It wasn't their fault those two pirates were so strong. This had to be a joke.

Stopping in front of them, Morgan looked back at them with a gaze that could freeze the Sun. "Well? That was an order, wasn't it?" His words struck deep into the hearts of the soldiers, shaking them to their cores with fear. They knew well the punishment for disobeying the Captain's orders. One way or another, they were dead men.

With shivering hands, they raised their pistols to their heads. Morgan turned away and continued onwards towards the criminals. The men whispered prayers and apologies to their families, closing their eyes for the last time.

"Oi! If you're gonna blame anyone, blame yourself! If you've got guts, then come and execute me on your own!" The Marines stopped the mass suicide to see the straw hat pirate running at Morgan, punching away his axe by the flat of the blade and kicking Morgan in the chest.

Morgan slid through the dirt, stopping a few feet away. He cast away his coat, cracked his neck, and glared at Luffy with contempt. "Dirty pirates like you have no right to stand against someone as great as me. I am the great Marine, Axe-Hand Morgan!"

"Hi, I'm Monkey D. Luffy" He cordially greeted the Marine captain while leaping over his broad strike. The axe slashed through the air and into the fence beside them, cutting it perfectly down the middle for several feet.

'Amazing!' Coby thought, 'He cut the entire fence with just one blow!'

"Come here you-DO!" Luffy's sandals smacked against Morgan's jaw, knocking him him onto his back with ease. Morgan flipped himself over and charged for another attack. Luffy did the same, using his stretchy body to dodge around Morgan's downward strike and throw a left hook that knocked him flat on his back. Not giving him a second to rest, Luffy climbed atop him and gave him two more punches, holding back a third.

"You call yourself a great Marine? Heh, Coby's a better Marine than you'll ever be. All you're doing is messing up his dream!" Luffy wound up for another punch.

"Hey, Wait!" Across the field, Helmeppo held a pistol to Coby's head, hand shaking with his finger on the trigger. Coby was shaking as well, more scared that the blonde brat might accidentally shoot him than anything.

Luffy paused for a second, before proceeding to punch Morgan again anyway, whiting out his eyes.

"Wha-I-You, I said wait, damn it!" Luffy and Kuina stared at Helmeppo, sending a shiver down his spine. "If-If you want this brat to live, then you better surrender right now or I'll-I'll-"

"Luffy!" Coby yelled, "I don't want to get in your way, so….go ahead! I'm not afraid to die anymore!" That was a bit of a lie. Coby was absolutely afraid to die, but he also wanted to be brave like Luffy and push away his fear. If he couldn't do that, then being a Marine was out of his league.

Kuina chuckled, "Brave kid." Luffy nodded, pulling back his fist.

"H-Hey! What did I tell you?! I'll do it! I swear!" With the way he was shaking, it was more likely that Helmeppo would hit a bird than Coby. He closed his eyes as Luffy clenched his fist, missing the shadow rising up behind the straw hat pirate.

" **Gum-Gum** …."

"Luffy, behind you!"

" **Pistol**!" With a snap, Luffy's fist launched across the execution field and firmly connected with Helmeppo's cheek, knocking him out instantly and displacing a few of his teeth. "Got him!"

Lurking behind Luffy, Morgan had his axe raised, ready to cut him down. Until blood exploded from his chest, his shirt covered in a dozen slashes. Upon closer inspection, the slashes seemed to vaguely resemble a rose blossom. The mighty Marine Captain went down like a sack of bricks, revealing Kuina cleaning the blood off her blade with a cloth. She nodded at Luffy as she re-sheathed her blade. "Got your back, Captain."

Returning back to the so far silent spectators of what could hardly be called a battle, the Marines stood in shock as they looked from the unconscious body of one Morgan to the other. A disbelieving whisper passed through their ranks, "The Captain….Axe-Hand Morgan lost. The Morgans were defeated…."

Kuina unsheathed her sword, sighing, "Look, if you still want to arrest us, you can try, but I doubt you'll do better than these two idiots."

The Marines looked to one another, nodding. They all knew what to do next.

"YAHOOOOO!" The crowd exploded into cheers and hollers and whoops. Hats and guns and swords were tossed into the air-not the safest idea-as the Marines celebrated. They were dancing, they were hugging, a few guys were even crying. "We're free! The Morgans are done! Break out the beer!"

"They...They hated Morgan.." Coby was about to break down and cry himself. This proved that Marines weren't bad people, it was just Morgan and his son. They had been forced to do all that stuff or die.

"...That is...not what I was expecting." Kuina re-sheathed Wado Ichimonji. She was incredibly confused at the sudden celebration, but from what she saw of Morgan's leadership, it did kind of make sense. Suddenly, a wave of nausea passed over her and brought her to her knees. She turned to Luffy, "I-I think we should get something to eat…" Just when she thought Luffy's smile couldn't get any wider.

"Alright!"

* * *

 **Fyr3Flyt3** : **This was a shorter one because I wanted to get somewhere specific in the next chapter not to mention this is probably the second shortest fight in One Piece if you can even consider Bellamy on Jaya a fight. I'm currently working on planning this out and having a bit of difficulty coming up with some other twists to add. I have some larger ones, but those are a bit farther away. If you have suggestions for a what if to add to the story for the East Blue Saga, please tell me in a PM or Review and I'll be sure to give you credit and do my best to flesh out the idea. Other than that, not much happened this time. Until next time, Bye!**


	6. Divergence

**Chapter 6: Divergence**

* * *

"Mommy, we need more meat!"

Ririka looked up from the hot stove she had been working over tirelessly for the past two hours. Her tavern, The Magic Conch, was abuzz with activity today. Nearly every citizen of Shells Town was packed into the building and the surrounding area, trying to catch a glimpse at the 'heroes' that had saved them. If they did see them, they would immediately looked away in disgust as their 'heroes' devoured platter after platter of food.

Coby watched in disgusted awe while he slowly ate his meal with his uninjured arm. He wasn't particularly surprised by the way Luffy ate, used to his gluttonous ways from their trip there, but Kuina was a different story. She ate like a wild animal, shoveling food into her mouth-at least she used a fork-and draining it down with mug after mug of apple juice. Apparently, she didn't like the taste of beer. ' _I guess I can't really blame her, she hasn't eaten in nearly a month.'_

"Ahh," Kuina sighed as she slammed down her mug and leaned back. "I didn't think I could eat that much, but I guess a couple weeks of starving will do that to you."

"No way I could've made it a whole month!" Luffy shouted, half chewed food spilling out of his mouth.

Kuina cringed, "Jeez, how can someone so scrawny eat that much? And don't talk with your mouth full, it's gross." Luffy chuckled as he stuck an entire leg of meat into his mouth and tore it off in one bite without a scrap left behind.

Coby sighed, turning to Rika as she delivered another platter of meat for Luffy to devour, "I'm sorry about them, they're just really hungry. We don't have any money, but we can wash some dishes and some other-"

"Don't be crazy," Ririka poked around the doorway to the kitchen, "You already saved us from that monster, Morgan. You can eat as much as you want, it's the least we can do." Touched by her kindness, Coby nodded and quickly cleared off his plate. Once he and Kuina, were full, they sat back and watch Luffy continue to disintegrate any food that came near. A few other customers found their food pilfered by a mysterious hand, though they didn't complain. It was the hand of a savior after all.

Coby smiled at his gluttonous friend as a sad aura overcame him. He stood up, nervously fiddling with his bandages. Luffy slowed his eating and all eyes were on Coby.

"I'm...I'm really glad I met you two. I haven't known you very long, but...you're the best friends I've ever had! No one, not even my own parents ever supported my dreams, but you two...you two taught me to live for my dream." Coby looked at them with tears in his eyes, "So thank you, and I hope that we can stay friends."

Luffy laughed while Kuina smiled at the little pink boy. She hadn't really talk to him much, so she wasn't sure she had really taught him anything, but if he felt that way, she wasn't going to stop him.

"Of course we'll stay friends, ya idiot!" Luffy yelled, "Doesn't matter what happens or where we go!"

Coby wiped away his tears, glad that he wouldn't be losing his first ever friend. "Right. So..where are you going?"

"The Grand Line."

"WHAAAT?!" Coby's jaw hit the floor and the cold fingers of fear enraptured his heart. "You-You can't go there, it's a death trap! They call it the Pirate's Graveyard! That's way too dange-" Coby stopped his rant as he realized who he was talking to. ' _It doesn't matter if I die, as long as I reach for my dream.'_ Luffy had said that on Alvida's ship and he'd stand by it. A man's dream is his life.

"I don't know about it being dangerous. My friend said it's more like a Paradise for pirates." Both Kuina and Coby looked at Luffy curiously.

"Paradise? What friend told you-"

"Excuse me!" Standing in the doorway, a group of Marines gathered with one man with a scraggly beard stood in front. This was Lieutenant Ripper, the new head of the Shells Town Marines after Morgan's dethroning. It should've been the Lieutenant Commander, but he was very recently executed for insubordination. With all eyes on him, Ripper spoke, "I'm sorry to interrupt your meal, but I have to ask, are you really all pirates?"

Now, Coby and Kuina were ready to deny the claim, not wanting to cause more trouble or fight after a meal, respectively, but neither of them were fast enough to stop the loud mouthed straw hat.

"Heck yeah! I just got my First Mate, so we're officially pirates!" He jabbed a thumb at Kuina who waved cool while her other hand reached for her blade.

Ripper nodded, "Well then, even though you saved this town and us, we, as prideful Marines, can't allow you to stay here any longer. Please leave immediately and we won't report this to headquarters."

Ripper's declaration immediately anger the townsfolk, booing and throwing rotten tomatoes-someone always had some-at the Marines. They stopped when Luffy and Kuina stood up in unison. A few Marines reached for their swords, before Luffy spoke, "Alright then. Let's go, Kuina."

The townsfolk and Marines looked at the pair in confusion as they made their way to the door, but Coby understood what they were doing. All Luffy had wanted was to recruit Kuina and Kuina just wanted to leave. No need to fight people who were really doing them a favor by just asking them to leave.

"Hey, kid," Ripper pointed at Coby, "are you with them?"

"Huh? Oh, I...I…" It felt wrong to say he wasn't, especially with them right behind him. It was like denying their friendship after everything they'd been through. ' _But Luffy would want me to, if it's for my dream. He said we'd be friends no matter what.'_

"I'm not with them!" Ripper stared at Coby for a moment, looking over his strained expression before turning to Luffy in the doorway.

"Hold on a second, please," he pointed at Coby as Luffy and Kuina looked at him, "Is this boyd telling the truth? He was with you at the base and freed the Pirate Hunter." Luffy stood silent for a moment before pointing at Coby.

"Well, I don't know that but I know he used to work on a ship with a big fat pirate lady. I think her name was Aleta or something. She was super ugly and mean with a big mace."

Sweat built up on Coby's forehead as Ripper's look darkened with every word. ' _What is he doing? If he tells them about Alvida, then they'll never let me join the Marines! Luffy, please stop talking, you're going to ruin my dream! Why are you doing this?!'_

Despite Coby's mental protest, Luffy kept going, "And this guy was on her ship for two years, working as a-"

" **STOP LYING!** " Coby couldn't control himself as his anger boiled over. Out of nowhere, he cold clocked Luffy in the side of the face, knocking the boy into a table. The pirate smirked as he came at Coby, punching him to the ground and getting ready to kick him when Ripper pushed him away.

"Alright, that's enough! I can see that you two aren't friends, so you can leave!" Ripper glared at Luffy, who just smiled at him. He glanced at Coby and winked before turning to leave with Kuina. The townsfolk and the Marines made way for the pair, the people muttering words of thanks to the two. Coby sat up, watching them leave.

' _Luffy...you did that on purpose, didn't you?'_ Tears burned the back of his eyes, ' _Even now, after calling you a liar and hitting you, you're still helping me because I was too useless to do it myself._ Standing up, Coby wiped the tears from his eyes. He turned to Ripper and bowed his head. Determination steeled his heart. ' _Luffy gave me this chance and I'm not going to waste it!'_

"Mr. Ripper, sir, please allow me to join the Marines, sir! Even if I have to do demeaning chores, I'll do it!" His request was met by silence until another Marine stepped up.

"Sir, I'm against this." Fear gripped Coby's heart, "We can't just accept anybody off the streets, especially not someone associated with pirates, even if they did save us. We don't know if we can trust him or not, he could easily be a spy." Thundering heartbeats deafened Coby's ears. He was so close and still more things go in the way. If they looked back into where he came from, they would find out about Alvida and never let him join. They'd probably arrest him. ' _Nononononononono!'_

Before Ripper could even speak, Coby stamped his feet, looked the man dead in the eye, and screamed, " **I AM A MAN WHO IS GOING TO BECOME A MARINE ADMIRAL! I WILL UPHOLD JUSTICE AND PUNISH CRIMINALS! THAT IS MY DREAM!** "

The Marines looked a the boy, feeling the intensity coming off his small form. There was a glint in his eye that sent shivers down more than a few spines. They had seen it in the eyes of the higher ups, an ambition brighter than the sun.

Ripper looked at the accusing Marine sighing as he turned back to Coby, "Alright, kid, you can start as a chore boy." A smile spit Coby's face in half and tears began flowing from his eyes. " _But_ , remember that we know about your association with pirates. We'll be watching you closely."

"Right! Thank you sir!" Coby saluted as tears and snot ran down his face. This was his first step down a new road, a road leading to his ultimate dream. And he had a few people he needed to thank.

* * *

"So this is it?" The dinghy rocked as Kuina stepped into it, sinking under her weight. Luffy sat at the very front, staring at the horizon. "So it's just you, me, and a crappy little dinghy? Some pirate crew ya got, Captain."

"Mmhm! But we're just getting started. Next, we're gonna get a navigator, a shipwright, a musician, a cook-

"Why is cook after a musician?!"

Luffy looked at the swordswoman like she had grown another head, "Because pirates love singing. My friend told me that you can't have a good crew without a musician."

"Is this the same friend who told you that the Grand Line is a paradise?"

"Yep!" Kuina was beginning to think that maybe this 'friend' of Luffy's was either an idiot or a giant asshole. She was leaning towards the latter right now and was going to voice her complaint when Coby came running up to the docks.

"Hey! Wait!" The two turned to their friend as he stopped. After catching his breath, he stood straight and saluted them with joy. "Thank you two, for everything! I promise that I'll never forget you and I'll keep going after my dream!"

"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed, waving, "Alright! We'll meet again someday, I'm sure of it."

"Never thought I'd see a Marine saluting pirates." Kuina gave a small wave to the pink haired kid. She hadn't known him long, but she was going to miss him.

The two pirates boarded their ship and set sail. Letting loose the white sail, a timely wind blew in and pushed them out to sea. As they moved farther away, the Marines and townsfolk began gathering around Coby, watching their heroes leave.

"Men! Group Salute!" In perfect unison, the Marines of Shells Town snapped into a salute, honoring their saviours while the townsfolk shouted their thanks and well wishes. "Alright men, we have dishonored our position as Marines by saluting a pirate! No food for a week!"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

Luffy laughed and cheered, waving at all the people with his big, dumb smile spreading from ear to ear. Kuina sat back on the boat with a small grin, pulling out Wado Ichimonji for a cleaning and a polish.

The wind picked up and blew the two far away from Shells Town in the direction of their destiny. Truly, the journey to reach their dreams had begun. What challenges would lay ahead of them and would they be ready to face them? Kuina didn't know for sure, but she had a feeling everything would be okay.

* * *

 **A Day Later**

"We're going to die on this dinghy." The merciless sun beamed down through the cloudless sky, striking down with burning fury upon the sea. Kuina swore she could see waves turning to steam in mid-air. She had taken off her boots and rolled up her pants to her knees and was considering taking off her shirt. Luffy was suffering an equal hell, laid over the edge of the boat with his tongue hanging out as he starved to death and baked under the sun.

"I bwish Id habn't eaben ald dab foob."

"How are you even hungry? You ate enough for ten families yesterday." He had also eaten every bit of food on the ship, leaving the supplies barren, not that there had been much when Kuina got on. She was starting to think that Coby might've joined the Marines for more than one reason. "How long until we get to the neck island?"

"..."

"...Luffy, do you not know where we're going?"

"...No."

Kuina was going to die out here. She had fought hundreds of deadly duels, sailed across the East Blue, faced down bloodthirsty pirates, and escaped an execution by firing squad, only to die of starvation and/or dehydration because her new captain was a gluttonous moron. Maybe the lack of food had addled her brain when she decided to join up with him.

"Oi! Kuiaa! Bir!"

"Luffy, please, out your tongue back in your mouth! I can't understand a word you're saying!" All she could see was the teen pointing up into the air at a bird. "Wait! A bird! That means there's somewhere to land!" And somewhere to land meant they could get food and water and a map and a better boat.

Not only did Luffy put his tongue back in his mouth, he stood up, readjusted his hat, and smiled. He turned to Kuina and nodded at her, "Watch the boat, I'm gonna go get lunch!"

"Wait, what does that-"

" **Gum-Gum Rocket!** " Luffy latched onto the mast of the ship, using it as leverage to launch himself into the air. He stretched out his arms to catch the bird and drag it back down with him. He simply stretch his arm down and reel himself back to the boat. Foolproof plan.

A small rule of optics is the fact that objects that are farther away from a person will appear smaller than they actually are. The bird that, to those on the ship, appeared to be no larger than a seagull, was actually the size of their dingy itself. Only as he got closer did Luffy realize his mistake. The giant pink bird caught Luffy in its mouth, squeezing his head in its mouth.

Most people would've been terrified by this sudden change of plans, but Luffy had proven that he was not most people very well.

"Hey! Stop eating me! You're the lunch here!" Luffy yelled and kicked, trying to free himself from the beak as the bird flew towards the island in the distance. There it could stop and figure out how to eat this chewy meal.

Kuina stared up into the sky, watching her Captain get dragged away by the massive bird. "...I guess I should follow him." As much as she was regretting her choice before, she had promised to stick with him on his journey, and Kuina never broke her promises. On the horizon, a blurry black landmass appeared. "That's probably it. Time to start rowing."

* * *

 **Orange Town**

 **The Big Top**

"Captain Buggy! Unidentified flying object coming in through the clouds! It looks like it might be holding something!"

From within the shadows of the cream-and-orange striped tent, a gruff voice barked back, "Then load the cannon and shoot it down!" A man stepped out with light blue hair, ghostly white paint on his face, piercing eyes, and a big, fat red nose. A knife danced between his fingers in a way that should've subtracted a few digits, yet not a drop of blood fell. "And where is that thief?!"

* * *

"Get that thief!" Five men armed with swords raced down the empty cobblestone road of Orange Town. Their boot smacked against the stone and echoed through the ghost town. They had been chasing their target for half an hour now, determined to catch her and take her back to their captain. If they didn't, they'd be better off not returning.

"She went down the alley!" The lead man lifted his sword and swerved around the corner of a building, ready to strike down the burglar. Just as he caught sight of the thief, it was replaced by a wooden pole slamming into the side of his head, bashing him against the wall and knocking him out.

His compatriots caught, staring shocked at their down crewmate and then at his attacker.

It was a teenage girl with bright orange hair tied back into two separate ponytails. Scars covered her exposed arms and stomach, one going from her hip and up under her white tank top. The metal that covered her brown boots scraped against the ground as she lowered into a stance, stretching her torn up black jeans. One leg was cut short above the thigh and was replaced with a long blue and white sock. She smirked at the four men.

"You boys ready to play?"

* * *

 **Fyr3Flyt3: And there is Nami. With this being a sort of What If? world, I figured that I could use an old design for Nami featured in the first Color Walk. That one has her with a giant axe, but that's kind of inconvenient for a thief to have, ya know? The Nami in this AU will be a bit different from the one we know in canon, but you'll see more of that in the next chapter.**

 **Sorry these are coming out so slow, I have the attention span of a goldfish and that's giving myself a lot of credit. I want to get deep into the story, at least to Baroque Works. That's where things get fun, at least to me.**

 **Also, the story is now almost at 1,500 views, so I'd like to thank the people that have review, followed, and favorited this story, your support is greatly appreciated. I hope you'll stick around for more.**

 **Anyway, that's it for this chapter. Next Chapter will be Nami, The Pirate Thief. Until Next Time! Bye!**


End file.
